FIFA 15 trailer shows new engine's scary ability to steal human faces

Take a look at the image above. That's what Chelsea striker and Belgium international Eden Hazard looks like in real life. Now here's what he looks like in FIFA 15.

Pretty good, right? Overhauled lighting and new body rigging "vastly changes how players appear," according to EA. As well as improved faces, EA show off other bodily improvements. Players actually breathe now, their chests expanding and contracting, and hair moves fluidly, something which should satisfy the long-haired, long-suffering likes of David Luiz and Edinson Cavani.

And there are new stadium effects: corner flags react when the ball hits them, LED boards around the pitch transition between advertisements, crossbars rattle, and nets lift off the floor when struck by a particularity tasty shot. The pitch itself is better, too. Moisture kicks up off the turf, and sliding leaves muddy marks, both in the grass and on players' kits. By the end of the match, the ground will be visibly weathered, although it's not been confirmed if tracks and grooves affect the ball physics. It's something EA call 'living pitches', apparently.

Perhaps only a football fan would understand the appeal of a trailer like this, one that highlights such incremental details as wobbly crossbars. Such details add authenticity to the spectacle, and bring the complex sim closer to the spectator sport. The next-gen Ignite Engine powers the advanced visuals, and is making its way to the PC version of FIFA for the first time with FIFA 15. Find out more about how it plays in Tim's preview .